Lay summary
Gout, an inflammatory form of arthritis, disproportionately affects Māori and Pacific people. Recently in a cohort of Māori and Pacific people with gout, a genetic variant unique to these populations has been identified that reduces risk of gout for those that are carriers. Surprisingly, the variant also reduces height, by ~4 cm if an individual carries the variant. It is important that these findings are replicated in a second independent cohort so that research can then be carried out to understand the biology that underlies this variation. The aim of this summer studentship is to carry out the replication work.